Transcript Advances in Genetics

Advances in Genetics
Mrs. Wharton’s Science class
Genetic Advances

Selective breeding, cloning and genetic
engineering are 3 methods for developing
organisms with desired traits
Selective breeding

The process of selecting organisms with
desired traits to be parents of the next
generation
Inbreeding

Involving crossing 2 organisms that have
similar characteristics
To produce offspring with specific traits (
horses)
 Can also increase the likelihood that
organisms may inherit alleles that lead to
genetic disorders

Hybridization

Breeders cross genetically different
organisms

ie- a farmer may cross corn that produces
many kernels with corn that is resistant to
disease
Clone
 An
organism that is genetically
identical to the organism from
which it was produced
Genetic Engineering
Genes from one organism are transferred
into the DNA of another organism
 Splicing- improve food production plants
so more can be grown with less

Traditional plant breeding- selecting and
crossing plants of the same kind with certain
traits
 Gene splicing- involves splicing or cutting in of
genes from an entirely different plant

How Does Gene Splicing Affect
Us?
Being used in foods we already eat- gov’t
said these foods do not need to be labeled
(peanut allergies?)
 Soybean seeds- not sure of long-term
effects ( soy is most widely used plant in
the world)

Terminator Wheat
Grows well- produces good harvest
 Farmers have to buy more each year- it
does not reproduce each year

Gene Therapy

When working copies of a gene may be
inserted directly into the cells of a person
with a genetic disorder